Peer mentoring experiences of nursing students based on the caring perspective: A qualitative study

Background: Care competency is a critical aspect required of nursing students who want to become nurses. Peer mentoring is a useful way to experience the natural care process. Objectives: This study aimed to explore from the caring perspective the experiences of nursing students who have participated in peer mentoring as mentors and mentees. Design: This was a qualitative study; individual interviews were conducted and content analysis was performed to explore and describe peer mentoring experiences. Settings: This study was conducted in the department of nursing at a university in the Republic of Korea. Participants: The participants were nine students in their second to fourth year who participated as mentors and mentees in the peer mentoring program organized by the department of nursing. Methods: Data on participants' experiences of mentoring were collected through individual interviews. The transcribed content was analyzed using content analysis, and the categorized content was reorganized through the framework of the theory of caring. Results: The results of the content analysis revealed five categories that formed a sequential process of caring, which became the cycle of another process of care. Conclusions: This study's findings regarding peer mentoring experiences of nursing college students indicate that the program can be effective in improving care competencies related to nursing. Peer mentoring in nursing education could be a useful method to develop students' professional competencies.